Our Great Escape - Morocco/Canada/Attic/Sago Cay TR *DisneyWeddingBlog Nomination*

[amyy]

If it wasn't too late I think I would switch to Canada for the photo opportunities Your pictures are some of the most beautiful I have ever seen.

 

[pezaddict231]

Your pictures are so beautiful! And I love that there is so much variety in the Canada Pavilion, from the rustic water fall to the manicured gardens, just amazing!

 

[Boardwalk_bride]

YAY! I love your pics so far! I really have a thing for the phone booth shots! Can't wait to see more

Thanks I really love the phone booth ones! I was sad to have to give them up when we decided not to do the Epcot portraits, but since we had to walk by them coming into Canada, Regina stopped and was like...get in there!

Yeah! More pics! I love the colors of the flowers in the background! Amazing!

Thanks

Wow! So beautiful! I'll have to pay more attention to everything in Canada while I'm there in August.

I think it is so easy for us to overlook it...especially being Canadian, I never really took the time to explore the pavilion, I always go to the ones I consider more exotic. But it really is so beautiful, and they really gave the Canada area a lot of space (which I guess makes sense, since Canada is the largest country out of all of the ones in "world showcase", and second in the real world

Sooo I noticed you're going on DCL in May 2011! We are too, May 29 on the new Disney Dream!!

I have been following along and I'm in awe of just how gorgeous Canada turned out to be. I'm so glad you were able to have your ceremony there. It was perfectly you!!!

Thank you so much!

We want to go on the Disney Dream so badly! Unfortunately, it doesn't go to the Mediterranean though...

so pretty. I love your portrait shots they are really great! I think Canada was a perfect choice!

Thanks

If it wasn't too late I think I would switch to Canada for the photo opportunities Your pictures are some of the most beautiful I have ever seen.

Wow, that is so nice of you I honestly think (and I'm not just saying this to be nice) that everywhere in WDW has amazing photo opportunities, but the areas we picked (AK and Canada) just worked best for us, and reflected us the most.

Your pictures are so beautiful! And I love that there is so much variety in the Canada Pavilion, from the rustic water fall to the manicured gardens, just amazing!

Thank you so much! Our parents were soooooooo happy we had pictures done in the garden area. All of them are obsessed with gardens (they actually go on garden tours) so it made them really happy. DH and I prefer the rustic looking ones @ AK and by the waterfall @ Canada, so there is something to make everyone happy!

I'll start working on the brunch and dinner receptions today....and I also want to try and post some of the honeymoon pics, since I took the time to upload them!

 

[Boardwalk_bride]

Day Three - Part Five​

After our remaining pictures in the telephone booth, we were brought to the bus and got on with our guests to head to the Attic.

This is clearly not a professional shot

As we approached the Boardwalk, I had a thought. Nobody ever told me if someone would be waiting there for us, and I had no idea where to go. I figured that someone would be there….how else would we find it. So we all file of the bus, head towards the lobby, and there was nobody there to direct us. I had a sudden moment of panic, but DH, seeing I was stressed, quickly ran to ask a cast member where to go, and soon enough, he was leading us all there.

When we got to the Attic, everything was set up nicely. The first thing we saw was our guest book, which everyone thought was so cute.

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We took a moment just to look around at everything. We had been dreaming about the Attic forever. We were just so happy to be there. Our guitar player was there as well playing the songs we had sent music for, so everyone had a good time trying to figure out the songs.

A moment later, we noticed our cake was on display. We really had no idea what we were getting. I just told them “classic mad hatter” and gave no instructions on colours, design or anything, except that I wanted my cats somehow worked in (we needed to put them in somehow).

Here is what we ended up with:

I cannot believe the amazing job they did with the cats. For comparison, here is the pic I had sent them.

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The mimosas were ready right away, so we spent some time hanging out, enjoying the patio area, the view, and our drinks:

After enjoying some time in the sun, it was time to cut the cake, and have my MOH make the toast.

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Almost immediately after, they announced breakfast was ready, which everyone was so happy about, since we were all starving!

Our menu was the Sandy Hook Lighthouse Breakfast Buffet, which we had customized for $36.95 pp. It included:
-fruit juice, sliced fruit and berries
-variety of baked pastries
-scrambled eggs with chives and cheddar cheese
-breakfast quesadillas with eggs, sausage, onions, peppers and cheese
-french toast with maple syrup
-smoked bacon
-turkey sausage
-chive and cheddar hasbrowns
-Whole wheat mickey waffle station (cooked to order)

Aside from the turkey sausage, everything was so amazing! Everyone commented on how much they loved having breakfast @ the reception. I knew they would, because I know most of them well, and they love brunch, but I was still happy to hear it. It especially tasted so good since it was the first thing most of us had that day. I think my favourite item from the list was definitely the hashbrowns…..they were amazing! I have to say the pastries were quite good too. I expected just normal continental type stuff, but they were really good! DH and I loved the coffee cake type pastry...yum!

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Some non professional pics:

After breakfast, we all lounged around for a bit, before being loaded back onto the bus and brought back to our resorts to break for a bit before dinner.

 

[daisygirl902]

Oh I am SO stealing some of your menu items! Those hashbrowns sound amazing!! Everything looks really great...thanks for sharing!

 

[disneybarbie]

It all looks so beautiful!

Love the idea of having the Vinylmation Mickey as your 'guest book' !

The cake is lovely too

Emma x

 

[spacerangerqueen]

Love all the pics! The Canada pavilion is such a great backdrop for a wedding. I was there a week or two ago and thinking about how I was waiting to see your pics. It looks like everything turned out great!
How cute that you did a vinylmation guestbook too, didn't it turn out awesome? Our guests were so creative with ours. Guess I need to get around to posting it lol.

 

[Petals & Pixie Dust]

Yeah...I think I'm going to borrow that guest book idea ...I want something...and that will work...Hope you don't mind! I love it!

 

[amyy]

I so love how you incorporated your cats!! I was just telling one of our cats tonight that I didn't know how I was going to incorporate her. It wouldn't work on our cake but I had been toying with the idea of a grooms cake. hmmmm

I apologize if you have already answered my question about the guitar player. Did you like him, did he do all the songs you asked for etc? We are having the Key West style guitarist which I really have no idea what style of guitar that is I just know I like Key West

You are right (in your earlier post) about all the locations having beautiful photo opportunities. My mother is from Canada and she would be tickled if I had my wedding at the Canadian pavilion. With just a few weeks to go there is no time for second guessing. well... Really your pictures are amazing!!

 

[Pirate's Princess]

I love all of your pictures! It looked like everyone had a nice and relaxed time, including you! Canada looked beautiful, and so did you! ;-)

 

[Boardwalk_bride]

Oh I am SO stealing some of your menu items! Those hashbrowns sound amazing!! Everything looks really great...thanks for sharing!

You should steal the hashbrowns...they were so tasty!

It all looks so beautiful!

Love the idea of having the Vinylmation Mickey as your 'guest book' !

The cake is lovely too

Emma x

Thank you so much

Love all the pics! The Canada pavilion is such a great backdrop for a wedding. I was there a week or two ago and thinking about how I was waiting to see your pics. It looks like everything turned out great!
How cute that you did a vinylmation guestbook too, didn't it turn out awesome? Our guests were so creative with ours. Guess I need to get around to posting it lol.

Thanks I'm guessing you did a mickey vinlymation book than...I totally thought that I pioneered the idea It really was such a great way to add Mickey in!

Yeah...I think I'm going to borrow that guest book idea ...I want something...and that will work...Hope you don't mind! I love it!

Not at all! I think it is such a fantastic idea....especially if you have a smaller guest list, since there isn't much room anyway!

I so love how you incorporated your cats!! I was just telling one of our cats tonight that I didn't know how I was going to incorporate her. It wouldn't work on our cake but I had been toying with the idea of a grooms cake. hmmmm

I apologize if you have already answered my question about the guitar player. Did you like him, did he do all the songs you asked for etc? We are having the Key West style guitarist which I really have no idea what style of guitar that is I just know I like Key West

You are right (in your earlier post) about all the locations having beautiful photo opportunities. My mother is from Canada and she would be tickled if I had my wedding at the Canadian pavilion. With just a few weeks to go there is no time for second guessing. well... Really your pictures are amazing!!

Thanks Our cats are our babies! We rescued all of them together. Sam and Frodo, who are twins, just turned 4, and McLovin is turning 3 in a couple weeks, so they have spent a lot of time in our relationship, so we needed to incorporate them.

We loved the guitar player. He played everything perfect...the songs sounded the same of the acoustic versions we have of the songs at home! I have no idea what a key west guitar sounds like....ours was just acoustic. I'm sure it would be great though!

I love all of your pictures! It looked like everyone had a nice and relaxed time, including you! Canada looked beautiful, and so did you! ;-)

It was really a very low key, relaxed wedding....exactly what we wanted!

 

[Disney9.9.10]

I missed a whole bunch of pictures, but they are all beautiful! You really did Canada well I love the whole look of your wedding, it turned out beautifully!

 

[Boardwalk_bride]

Day Three - Part Six ​

Unfortunately I do not have any professional pics from this (my biggest regret) so please bare with these photos!

Since we had a limo included in our ceremony package that we didn’t use, my planner suggested using it to make multiple trips to and from the GF, instead of adding on additional transportation. Because of this, I had to split everyone up, and make a meeting point @ the GF for us, so we could walk to Sago Cay together. I had ordered mickey and Minnie head note cards off of Etsy, and wrote in times for which people would be picked up at their resort at, and where to meet (Mizner’s Lounge) at the GF.

The limo made 3 trips, with DH and I being the middle one. When DH and I walked into the GF, it felt like everyone stopped and stared at us. People were clapping, yelling congratulations, and little girls kept coming up to me to ask me if I was a princess. I was in absolute heaven. I normally hate being the center of attention, and although I am a girly girl, I’m not the princess-type, but this was the most fantastic I have ever felt in my life.

After our onlookers started to walk away, we headed up to Mizener’s Lounge to find our first group of guests, who were sitting on, what I assume to be, Commanders Terrace. It was so awesome just being able to sit out there and enjoy being at the GF. DH and I had been there once, but none of our guests had, so they had no idea how gorgeous it was. After about 20 mins of talking, we decided to head down to the lobby, so that we could meet up with the last group and head to Sago Cay. Of course, we had to get this picture on the way:

Well waiting for the rest of our group, again, DH and I were swarmed by guests asking about our wedding, and giving their congratulations (seriously, everyone needs to go to the GF in their gown and experience this…amazing!). Soon enough, the rest of our group arrived and we headed to Sago Cay. On the walk there, we continuously heard people shouting from their balconies at us…I was in heaven!

We had picked out a lot of décor for Sago Cay. I really wanted to splurge there and make it look like a really fancy location, since I didn’t really know (I hadn’t seen it in person) what the location looked like. Every extra piece of décor we added on was worth the money. From the sashes, to the centerpieces, to the chocolate mickey place cards, it was just perfect. The location, with all our décor, was so gorgeous, I became so overwhelmed and almost started to cry. It was beyond perfect…..beyond anything I ever imagined. It was the highlight of my whole trip.

Unfortunately these are the best I have

Everyone went up to the bar almost immediately. The wine was really good (I’m glad I splurged for the premium wine) and the margarita was excellent! I didn’t see a lot of people with beer, which was surprising for my crowd (the guys anyway) bit I think it was due to the menu items and perhaps the more “formal” look that drew them to the wine.

Dinner was ready pretty shortly after we arrived. We were all starving again and ready to eat. Our menu was the Lady and the Tramp Dinner (actually a rehearsal dinner) – modified @ $52 pp included:
- Romaine, Radicchio, and Spinach Salad
Balsamic Vinaigrette and Sundried Tomato Ranch Dressing
- Premium cheese display
- Pasta Sautéed with Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Arugula, and Feta
- Parmesan-crusted Chicken Breast with Mushroom Cream and Parsley
- Rosemary-grilled Mahi Mahi with Limoncello Butter and Sweet Tomatoes
- Ciabatta and Focaccia Bread, Garlic-infused Olive Oil, and Butter
- Coffee, Decaffeinated Coffee, Selection of Hot Teas
- Chocolate Chip Blondies
- Cheesecake Lollipops


We also had an open bar which included the premium wine and beer, and a signature drink, which was the Italian Margarita (although it was over ice, not frozen).

This was actually one of the most amazing meals of my life (and I am a totally foodie, and I go to a lot of classy restaurants). The food was to die for. The cheese display was so good…I wish I could have had more. The pasta dish was so good, absolutely everyone raved about it. The fist was so good to, and I don’t like fish. DH went up to get seconds of it, and it was already gone. I definitely want to surprise DH with a private dinner @ GF with the mahi mahi and pasta dish next time we go back. Sorry I have no food pics for this one!

Everyone really loved the décor, especially the place cards! And DH’s best man had a good time playing with our Mickey guest book (which we had to bring back since some people forgot to sign it)

After everyone was done dinner and dessert, the staff served coffee and tea, and were kept busy at the bar as well. The roman style table was a really good idea, since somehow we all managed to engage in one conversation at many points (which somehow turned into a full on hockey argument….I’m sure the catering staff thought we were crazy).

Pretty soon the fireworks started, and I have to say, the view was way better than I thought it would be. We could also hear the music, faintly, but we could definitely hear it. A few of us walked up to the edge to watch the fireworks, while most of the others stayed back at the table. I think they all had too much to drink, as they all engaged in synchronized “oohhhh, ahhh, eeee, ahhh” during each firework. It was really amusing!

After the fireworks ended, the parents all went in the first limo back to Pop. We said our goodbyes to some, since we were not going to see them again until our at home reception. While the rest of us were hanging out at Sago Cay, I noticed the bar started to shut down. This is where the Escape package irritates me. I understand we already had an extension of 30 mins, but we were still keeping the bartender quite busy, so I don’t understand why the bar couldn’t have stayed longer. Whatever, I guess less expenses for us!

DH and I took the last limo back with his side of the bridal party. By that point, I was really tired, and luckily, they didn’t mind us stopping off at BCV to drop us off first. When DH and I walked into out room, I saw a surprise waiting for us (well, me) on the bed. He had ordered a gift through Disney Floral, which included delicious Moet champagne (a splurge, but totally worth it), chocolates (that were so tasty), cheese and crackers (not so tasty) and two mickey head etched flutes that are now my favourite glasses!

We got changed and went to sleep pretty quickly, since we knew we had to get up early the next morning to meet David and Vicki for Trash the Dress!

 

[daisygirl902]

Oh man! That menu looks amazing! I also love the setup - it looks so beautiful!! Glad you enjoyed Sago Cay - it all turned out wonderful!

 

[Chilly]

What can I say, I love everything!

 

[Boardwalk_bride]

Oh man! That menu looks amazing! I also love the setup - it looks so beautiful!! Glad you enjoyed Sago Cay - it all turned out wonderful!

What can I say, I love everything!

Thanks ladies

 

[Brit_Jude]

Love how you had your Sago Cay event set up and I am so glad you and everyone enjoyed it. It looks lovely.

Nice touch fro hubby at the end

 

[Disney9.9.10]

Your Sago Cay pictures look great - professional or not lol. I love how you decorated the event and it looks like everyone had a great time. I was wondering about hearing the music at that location, now I have an answer!

 

[TinkLoverSam]

Awesome!

 

[polynesianbride]

So sweet of your new DH to send you that basket, major bonus points! Love everything!